Saturday
Jul022005
Live 8 thoughts
Saturday, July 2, 2005 at 10:01PM
So today, I've been watching the Live8 shows all day here at my hotel in Dallas. I had to leave for a few hours to go and play at the Celebrate Freedom Festival, a Christian music festival bigger than many of the Live8 shows. I was surprised by some of the differences. The Live8 shows were all about feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, and healing the sick. The Christian festival today seemed to be basically be all about providing a "safe", i.e. without cussing or sex, entertainment for our Christian kids. Live8 was imploring the leaders of the world to be responsible for the life and death of a continent. We watched the Chik-Fil-A cows dance and Bob and Larry push their new video. I don't mean to come down on the festival, or the people at it, but I really was disappointed that non-believers, people who adamantly stand against the Church were taking responsibility for what Jesus asked US, the Church, to be doing. Obviously, that's a terrible blanket statement, and there are many, many, many people doing wonderful things within the Church for the world around them. Caedmon's is a part of that. Compassion, World Vision, Dalit Freedom, Living Water, and all the churches who support these excellent ministries, are leading this charge. But I couldn't help noticing the differences watching one festival and going to another. They were too close to me to not contrast them. However, Pink Floyd's re-uniting was not near as cool as Tait and TobyMac getting back together to sing Jesus Freak. That was a joke. Pink Floyd. Holy Cow. So freaking great. Anyway, I think I'm just a little discouraged that the event we took part in didn't seem to be near as Christ-like as the event of a bunch of rich, spoiled rock stars and actors. I hope that we can look to what happened today, people uniting to help care for the poor and needy, and realize that the world should be looking to US, because it really is OUR responsibility to take care of the hurting around us. I think if we spent more time fighting hunger and poverty instead of retreating into our corners and priding ourselves on songs that say Jesus and don't say cuss words, the world really would see more of Christ in us. Please pray for me that I can be more active, both globally and locally, in reaching out beyond my own little world. I am definitely way too interested in my own life.
In other news, I went to see Batman Begins last night and really liked it. I thought it was the best Batman I had seen yet. Tonight I'm going to try to see Star Wars, I still haven't been able to. We've had two nights free here in Dallas, and I've enjoyed the rest and getting to just go see a movie by myself. Pretty nice to slip away every now and then. I wrote a song this morning on the guitar Josh left in my room. I was thinking about some stuff Alison and I had been talking about, how our parents affect our parenting and who we are, and some history that we had come up in conversation with the Caedmon's gang. After I heard Annie Lennox sing "Why", which is one of my favorite songs ever, I knew I had to write a song. It's called "Time." I think I like it. I'll post the demo if, after living with it a little more, I still do.
Also, I met some people today who read this and said hi this afternoon. Thanks. That was cool. Glad to know somebody there even knew who we were! It was nice to meet you. All right, that's it for me today. Tomorrow I'm going back home to be with my wife and baby. Been away three days and I miss them both a lot. Can't wait.
In other news, I went to see Batman Begins last night and really liked it. I thought it was the best Batman I had seen yet. Tonight I'm going to try to see Star Wars, I still haven't been able to. We've had two nights free here in Dallas, and I've enjoyed the rest and getting to just go see a movie by myself. Pretty nice to slip away every now and then. I wrote a song this morning on the guitar Josh left in my room. I was thinking about some stuff Alison and I had been talking about, how our parents affect our parenting and who we are, and some history that we had come up in conversation with the Caedmon's gang. After I heard Annie Lennox sing "Why", which is one of my favorite songs ever, I knew I had to write a song. It's called "Time." I think I like it. I'll post the demo if, after living with it a little more, I still do.
Also, I met some people today who read this and said hi this afternoon. Thanks. That was cool. Glad to know somebody there even knew who we were! It was nice to meet you. All right, that's it for me today. Tomorrow I'm going back home to be with my wife and baby. Been away three days and I miss them both a lot. Can't wait.
Reader Comments (105)
Well said. There is so much we aren't doing.
Have a safe trip back home.
Live8 and the Christian Bubble
I’m heartened to read Andy Osenga’s thoughts about the differences between the Live8 concerts and the huge Christian music festival that Caedmon’s is playing at this weekend:
The Live8 shows were all about feeding the hungry, clothi...
A big AMEN. I have been thinking a lot recently about when, exactly, we got so off-course. When was it that we became so focused on ourselves and our morals (and certainly the morals of others), and lost our focus on the thing that Jesus talked about FAR more he ever mentioned "living the clean life"...that being, helping those less fortunate than ourselves. It is odd...
Right on man! It's good to hear someone inside the industry making that observation as the thought had run past my mind this weekend as well when I thought about a Christian festival going on at the same time as Live8.
I'm sorry that I missed Pink Floyd this weekend as well. I don't have cable. I hope they played "On the Turning Away." I was blasting that earlier today because its message has to do with the whole Live8 thing. And I played a bunch of U2 today from their new record..."Crumbs From Your Table," "City of Blinding Lights," "Yahweh," etc. to remember Live8 even though I couldn't watch it.
Like I said on my blog, I'm not sure that rock stars can really change the world. But the attention they can bring to something this dire is well worth getting behind. Screw the rock stars, but get involved in a real way with what they're pushing.
I wish caedmons would just call bull shit at one of these christian festivals and just catch everyone off guard(thats the rebelliousness in me).
i really appriciate what you guys stand for and i know it must be hard standing for it in an industry where there seems to be more hushing of real issues than talking about them. I'm praying for you guys. I love that Jesus ruffled feathers in a holy way.
Well said, brother. We insulate ourselves so much...
Safe travels, and I want to hear the demo of "Time" as soon as you're happy with it... :-)
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